The Birdwatching Year 2008

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Roy Young	The Birdwatching Year 2008		Lead	[-]
Posts: 1414 01/01/2008 23:01:27 Moderator	Tags : None Observations of a part time birdwatcher another attempt at keeping a diary Last year after a trip to Lower Farm, Thatcham I started a thread to record all the birds I saw over a 12 month period. Unfortunately, this fell by the wayside in April. Didnt really get into it. I was never one to keep a diary. However, I now have a new spotting scope and armed with renewed vigour, I am having another go at it. So please feel free to comment as I progress and if anyone fancies a Saturday or Sunday morning birding trip or an evening stroll when the evenings get lighter please get in touch with me by PM. Ive scanned through my field guide and I reckon if I get out enough I should easily see around 115 different species between now and the end of the year. But really I should aim for more than that. My actual British list is over 200 (I need to check my records for the exact number). Anyway, I think 200 is a pretty tall order so Im going for 150. Let the birding begin. Roy
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Roy Young	2008 Species List	#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1414 01/01/2008 23:03:20 Moderator	This is my master list for 2008. Edited as and when I see new species Update 01-Apr-2008. Total = 65 Grebes/Herons Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Bittern, Little Egret, Grey Heron Swans/Geese/Wildfowl Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwell, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveller, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Ruddy Duck Birds of Prey Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel Game Birds Pheasant Rails/Crakes etc Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot Waders Lapwing, Sanderling, Snipe, Redshank Gulls Lesser black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull Pigeons/Doves/Owls Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Short-eared Owl Swift/Kingfisher/Woodpeckers/Larks Great-spotted Woodpecker, Skylark Swallow and Martins Sand Martin Pipits/Wagtails Pied Wagtail Thrushes Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing Tits Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit Crows Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Rook Starlings/Finches/Buntings Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet Last Edited By: Roy Young 01/04/2008 18:20:36. Edited 1 time.
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Roy Young	Re: Trip report	#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1414 01/01/2008 23:13:49 Moderator	Trip report Tuesday 01-Jan-2008 Location: My Back Garden and Lower Farm, Thatcham. Total species seen = 33 Great-crested Grebe Little Grebe Cormorant Grey Heron Mute Swan Canada Goose Wigeon Gadwell Teal Mallard Shoveller Pochard Tufted Duck Goldeneye Ruddy Duck Moorhen Coot Lapwing Lesser black-backed gull Black-headed gull Woodpigeon Collared Dove Robin Blackbird Song Thrush Blue Tit Great Tit Magpie Carrion Crow Rook Starling House Sparrow Chaffinch Garden - Nice to see and hear the Song Thrush again. Lower Farm - Reports of a Pintail and a Great black-backed gull but neither showed during my visit. Took photos of cormorants on the raft and a Shoveler, but I don't know where the lead is to transfer them to my PC. When I find it I'll include them here. Roy
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kevparr	Birding Year	#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 49 02/01/2008 23:34:57	Good Luck Roy - I will look in with great interest. Kev
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Roy Young	Cormorants	#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1414 06/01/2008 18:23:21 Moderator	Here's a shot of the Cormorants on the raft at Lower Farm on New Years Day. Unfortunately the photo of the Shoveler Duck didn't come out. I won't go into the politics of these birds and their effects on fish populations but if anyone reckons the way they're lined up would make good target practice with a shotgun....I wouldn't disagree. Roy
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Roy Young	Lower Farm again	#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1414 06/01/2008 18:28:01 Moderator	Dragged myself out this lunchtime down to Lower Farm, Thatcham. The light was good and I got this picture of a Shoveler. Much the same stuff there as New Year's Day including the following:- Little Egret (single bird flying over the poplars at the opposite end of the lake) Greylag Goose (single bird came in with around 70 Canadas) Shelduck Sparrowhawk (3 sightings) Common Gull Herring Gull Redwing 2008 total so far = 40 Roy
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RePete06	Re: Lower Farm again	#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 317 08/01/2008 01:04:25 moderator	Nice photo Roy is that using the new scope? I will have to get a decent bird book and identify your signtings Pete W
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Kingfisher II	Re: Lower Farm again	#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 5293 11/01/2008 10:24:15 Board Owner	Hi Roy, we were chatting to a "twitcher "( do you know the origin of thie word ?) near Wigmore Lane yesterday and he mentioned seeing a seabird called a Scaup on the lakes over the last month or so. I notice it is'nt on your list ,is it rare for seabirds to venture inland? Micky
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Roy Young	Re: Scaup	#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1414 16/01/2008 16:00:37 Moderator	Micky Scaup turn up from time to time in the winter on gravel pits especially in the Theale area. I haven't seen one yet. They are damned difficult to identify. Look at this link from the RSPB website. Roy
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Roy Young	Short-eared Owls	#9	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1414 01/02/2008 17:49:50 Moderator	Belated report on last Sunday's visit to Cow Down, near The Ridgeway at West Ilsley on the Berkshire/Hampshire borders. This is a well known (to birders) winter roost for Short-eared Owls and we were lucky enough to have sightings of four different birds. What superb creatures. As soon as I get my digiscoping equipment together I'll be back there to get some photos. Added a few more species to my 2008 list - including Linnet, Pheasant, Stonechat, Skylark, Fieldfare, Great-spotted Woodpecker. Met a couple of birders who reported Corn Buntings. I didn't see them. Too busy looking at the owls. My total for January and the year so far is 51. Roy
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Roy Young	Lavell's Lake	#10	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1414 05/02/2008 10:46:44 Moderator	A visit to Dinton Pastures, near Wokingham on Saturday to see the Bittern at Lavells Lake. After about an hour, it appeared on the island opposite the main hide. I eventually saw it through my scope as it perched upright in the reeds. Amazing camouflage. This is only the second time Ive seen one of these birds in the UK. The first was back in April 1989 at Leighton Moss in Lancashire. Also saw Long-tailed Tits at the back of the hide on the feeders. A single Water Rail and four Snipe appeared in the scrape to the right of the hide. Saw a Red Kite on Sunday and two Buzzards yesterday. List now sitting at 57 species. Roy
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kevparr	Re: Short Eared Owls	#11	[url]	[-]
Posts: 49 08/02/2008 13:19:49	Hi Roy Lovely to hear of you watching SE Owls - I haven't seen one for years, and the only ones I have seen have been in Scotland. I've heard that Ashley Warren is a good spot for them, not sure if you have been there? Best wishes Kev
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kevparr	Re: Short Eared Owls	#12	[url]	[-]
Posts: 49 12/02/2008 23:02:54	Hi Roy I envy you your Bittern sighting - I've never seen (or heard) one. I mentioned Ashley Warren in a previous post and decided to go there myself - only en route to the Kennet mind you. It's an incredible habitat - rolling downland, lots of scrub, copses - a shame about the Supergrid, but I can see why the SE Owls (and Hen Harriers) would like it. Maybe too late to catch the best of the winter raptors now (he says in February!...) but it might be nice to have a site outing next winter, either there, or somewhere better you may know of, next winter when the fish aren't biting. Keep up the ticks! Kev
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Roy Young	Bittern and stuff	#13	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1414 13/02/2008 01:05:49 Moderator	Kev Thanks for your encouragement. It was indeed a pleasure to see the Bittern even if it was well hidden in the reeds on the island. The nicest thing about the day was my daughter Jenny and her boyfriend Chris, who got quite a kick out of all the nice people in the hide willing to share their knowledge and sightings of the birds. We must have looked through four or five different scopes as more and more birders got views of not only the Bittern, but the Water Rail and Snipe. I can't wait to get my digiscoping accessories which I ordered today so I can get some decent photos to post here. Anyway, we're off on a jolly jaunt to see the Short-eared Owls at Cow Down again on Sunday. Will definitely be out fishing at least on Saturday so I might see more of the common birds to fill in some of the gaps. Like the idea of a winter walk next year. Meanwhile, I'll set up a stroll one evening in the close season when the evenings are longer. Mandatory though to finish in a pub. Roy
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Roy Young	Short-eared Owls again	#14	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1414 18/02/2008 18:43:23 Moderator	It was such a lovely day on Sunday. My daughter from Twyford came over to see us and we took her to Cow Down hoping to see the owls again. Reports from the Berkshire Birds website earlier in the week mentioned a four-wheel drive on the gallops frightening them away. Anyway, we did see them again. Definitely four different birds - may have been more. Highlight of the day was two Red Kites being mobbed by the owls as they flew over. Other birds seen - Stonechat, Kestrel, Rook, Crows, Starling, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Robin and Greenfinch(first this year would you believe!). Heard both male and female Bullfinch calling but couldn't catch sight of them. Finished the walk with a pint outside The Harrow pub looking at the settiing sun going down behind the cricket pitch. All very English. Roy
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Roy Young	Update 01-Apr-2008	#15	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1330 01/04/2008 18:39:59 Moderator	Due to work commitments and time spent on the house I've not been out birding as much as I would have hoped. To top it all, on the way home from Poole visiting relatives over Easter, we called in to Farlingtom Marshes, near Portsmouth, and the strong wind blew the tripod over and damaged the eyepiece housing on my new Nikon scope. Just as I got all the accessories together to enable me to do some digiscoping. What a ***** friggin *** ***** !!!!!!! However, I managed to repair my old scope some time ago so that will do until I get the new one repaired. Only seven species seen since my last update. Pathetic or what? Brent Goose - around 150 at Farlington Marshes Pintail, Sanderling, Redshank - again at Farlington Sand Martin - at least 30 seen at Woolhampton Gravel Pit on 20th March Jay - Seen a couple on the way to work recently Goldfinch - on next door's feeders There was also a Godwit at Farlington but I couldn't make up my mind if it was a black or bar tailed. I'm out of practice! I have a spring trip planned to East Anglia with my friend Chris Robinson - that should pump the numbers up a bit. Roy
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Roy Young		#16	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1337 08/04/2008 17:59:49 Moderator	Saw Chiffchaffs last week in the trees outside work. Heard many in the bushes on the canal outside the Narrow Boat(Ex-White House) pub in Newbury the weekend. First Swallow of the year, on the wires opposite Brimpton Farm on the way to work this morning. Total species seen so far this year has climbed to an unspectacular 67. By the way, I had a site visit at Gatwick yesterday and on the way back I detoured to Nikon's repair shop in Richmond and dropped my telescope off for repair. Roy
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The Birdwatching Year 2008

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